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Charging
Some items, like wands, magic harps, horns of plenty, brass lanterns, tinning kits, cans of grease, and the Bell of Opening, are only effective for a finite number of uses. Each potential use is called a charge, and charging is the process of adding more charges to an item. The most common methods of charging are the scroll of charging and the Platinum Yendorian Express Card. When identified, such items are shown with two numbers at the end of their description - a wand of magic missile (0:5) - the first number is how many times the item has been recharged, and the second is the number of charges remaining. The recharge counter stops at (7:y), though the item can still be recharged further if applicable. A discharged item is (x:0), and a canceled item is (x:-1). If you were thinking of magically improving weapons and armor, you want a scroll of enchant weapon or scroll of enchant armor instead. Repeated charging is potentially problematic. A wand charged more than once might explode; this is why nearly all players will reduce a wand to 0 charges before charging it. A wand of wishing charged the second time will always explode; thus players with a wand of wishing (1:0) always wrest the last wish (zap the wand repeatedly) instead of charging. Wands If a wand has been recharged at least once before, there is a chance it might explode, destroying itself. A wand of wishing will always explode if recharged more than once. For other wands, the chance of an explosion is n3/343, where n'' is the number of times the wand has been recharged before. This is summarized in the following table:read.c#line227 And the combined, cumulative probability of working towards maximum charges: And thus the expected average, per wand, is 4.62 charges before the wand explodes. An exploding wand will deal between 1 to 2(maxhp+1)/3 damage,read.c#line1304 so don't risk it if you're below full HP or in a place that isn't safe. If the wand does not explode, it will gain some charges. Blessed charging picks a number of charges between 5 and the wand's natural maximum charges (with all values having equal probability). This is summarized by the following probability table:read.c#line254 Uncursed charging picks a number in the same way as blessed charging, but then reduces it to a random value between itself and 1 inclusive. The net result is summarised by the following probability table: For both blessed and unblessed charging, the wand's number of charges is set to the chosen value. If the wand already has that many charges (or more), it instead gains one charge. If this extra charge brings a wand of wishing to more than 3 charges, it will explode. (Other wands will glow blue if charged beyond their natural maximum, but suffer no ill effects.)read.c#line262 Cursed charging will set the wand's number of charges to 0, unless the wand itself is blessed. This happens even if the wand was at '(x:-1)', i.e. it was cancelled.read.c#line224 Rings Rings of adornment, gain strength, gain constitution, increase accuracy, increase damage, and protection may be charged to alter their enchantment. Before the ring is charged, there is a chance it might explode. A ring with positive enchantment has a (enchantment before charging) in 7 chance of exploding. A ring of +7 or greater, or -5 or less, will always explode when charged. An exploding ring will deal between 1 and ''(3 * enchantment) damage.read.c#line270 If the ring does not explode, its enchantment will be updated. Blessed charging will add 1-3 points, uncursed charging will add 1, and cursed charging will subtract 1-2 points. (Unlike wands and tools, cursed charging does not clear a ring's enchantment.) Tools All chargeable tools may be recharged any number of times without ill effect, with the exception of magic markers.read.c#line300 For all tools, cursed charging will reduce the number of charges to 0, unless the item itself is blessed. The Bell of Opening Blessed charging adds d3 charges to the Bell, and uncursed charging adds 1. The resulting number of charges is then capped at 5.read.c#line306 Tinning kit A tinning kit may be recharged. Blessed charging will add 15-30 charges. If the resulting number of charges is less than 50, it will be increased to 50; if it is greater than 50 but less than 75, it will be rounded up to 75.read.c#line313 Uncursed charging will add 10-20 charges, rounding up to 50. For both blessed and uncursed charging, the final number of charges is capped at 127. Expensive camera An expensive camera may be recharged, and will follow the same formula as a tinning kit.read.c#line315 Magic marker A magic marker may be recharged, but only once. A marker that has not been recharged before will follow the same formula as a tinning kit. If the marker has been recharged, charging will not be effective; furthermore, if 3 or fewer charges remain, they will be lost ("Your marker seems permanently dried out.").read.c#line312 Crystal ball A crystal ball may be charged. Blessed charging will set the ball's charges to 6. Uncursed charging will add 1, up to a maximum of 5.read.c#line372 Bag of tricks A bag of tricks may be recharged. Blessed charging will add 10-15 charges if 10 or fewer remain, or 5-10 charges otherwise. Uncursed charging will add 1-5 charges. For both of these, the final number of charges will not exceed 50.read.c#line385 Can of grease A can of grease may be recharged, and will follow the same formula as a bag of tricks.read.c#line386 Magical instruments The magic flute, magic harp, frost horn, fire horn, and drum of earthquake may all be charged. Blessed charging will add 2d4 charges, to a maximum of 20. Uncursed charging will add d4 charges, to a maximum of 20.read.c#line400 A horn of plenty may be recharged, and will follow the same formula as a bag of tricks.read.c#line384 Lamps An oil lamp or brass lantern may be recharged. Blessed charging will fill a lamp to its maximum of 1500 turns. Uncursed charging will add 750 turns, to a maximum of 1500. Cursed charging will reduce the number of turns to 0, unless the lamp itself is blessed.read.c#line352 Note that lamps can also be charged with a potion of oil. Unlike oil, however, regular charging has no ill effect on a magic lamp. Yourself If you read a scroll of charging while confused, you will not get the usual charging effect. Instead, your own energy is replenished to its maximum. If it was already at maximum, the maximum is increased by 5d4, and your current energy is increased to the new maximum.read.c#line1057 Note that this special outcome only applies to the scroll of charging. Invoking the PYEC while confused should still produce the regular charging effect. References Category:Strategy